1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apnea detection device with a remote monitor and more particularly pertains to preventing the death of an infant due to an illness such as SIDS with an associated remote monitor. It may also be used to prevent the death of individuals having respiratory difficulties of any age, such as people with acute emphysema, acute asthma and Duchesne's disease.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The use of apnea prevention devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, apnea prevention devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of preventing the death of an individual are known but operate in a more complex fashion or in a different manner from the present invention. The following patents are representative of the art:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,490 to Dodakian describes a self-contained apnea monitor of the invention detects an apnea event or shallow breathing in a patient such as an infant, and generates an audible and visual alarm in response thereto. The monitor includes an elastic fabric belt for snugly encircling the abdomen or chest of an infant and a detector unit for detecting expansion or contraction of the elastic fabric belt caused by respiration. To this end, the belt includes a helical spring extending along its length. An inextensible wire is provided within the spring connecting a remote end of the spring to the detector unit. Thus configured, respiration of the infant causes the wire to be withdrawn from the detector unit. Within the detector unit, the wire is mounted to a recoil spring assembly which provides a biasing force for recoiling the wire subsequent to respiration. A detecting arm or magnet is mounted to a barrel containing the recoil spring within an electrical circuit provided to detect motion of the detecting arm or magnet. The electrical circuit measure s a time interval between consecutive respirations and generates an audible alarm if the time interval exceeds a predetermined period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,300 to Buschmann a transilluminated optical fiber is placed adjacent to an infant's respiratory moving parts using an elastic fabric. Use is made of the effect that moving the fiber causes a modulation of the intensity of the transmitted light to monitor the infant's breathing pattern to avoid S(udden) I(nfant) D(eath) S(yndrome).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,855 to Harrington et al describes an apnea monitor which detects breathing movement by a strap attached around the thorax region of the patient together with a Hall effect detector which is arranged to detect expansion movements of the body of the patient. The detector includes a first part mounted on one part of the strap and a transducer element attached to a second part of the strap so as to be pulled away from the first part against the bias of a spring and released toward the first part in dependence upon the movement. The position of the transducer element relative to the first part is transmitted wirelessly to a receiver using an antenna mounted on the bed frame construction. The signals are decoded to produce a series of values each dependent upon an instantaneous position of the transducer element. The values are monitored to detect increasing and decreasing values indicative of an aperiodic sinusoidal pattern associated with breathing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,260 to Salem et al describes a portable belt-type monitor of body functions such as the heart and breathing is described formed of a plurality of articulated, distributed modules containing EKG sensors, a respiration sensor, circuitry including a microprocessor for sensing alarm conditions, a transmitter for sending alarm conditions to a remote receiver and a battery to drive the various circuits. A respiration sensor is described wherein tension changes in the belt due to breathing are transformed into opposing forces directed transversely to the belt and which cooperate to produce a reliable, sensitive detection of respiratory activities. The belt can be conveniently worn with reliable EKG sensing during normal body activities. A processor program is described whereby these body functions are monitored with alarm being generated when these functions exceed preset limits while preserving sufficient functional performance data when an alarm occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,026 to Tagg describes an apnea alarm apparatus which detects the cessation of breathing of a human by monitoring movement of the ribcage by sensor means. The sensor means are connected to a summing amplifier which provides an electrical signal indicative of the breathing movement of the ribcage and upon a change in successive electrical signals, which indicates apnea, an alarm is activated.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 353,202 to Hong describes an ornamental design for an abdominal breathing band.
In this respect, the apnea detection device with a remote monitor according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing the death of an infant, senior citizen or any ailing individual due to an illness such as SIDS with an associated remote monitor.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved apnea detection device with a remote monitor which can be used for preventing the death of an infant due to an illness such as SIDS or other respiratory ailments with an associated remote monitor. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.